Sweden's new NSA exits in 12 hrs over Grindr images

STOCKHOLM: Sweden's new national security adviser has resigned just hours after being appointed after old photos of a "sensitive nature" from a dating app emerged, govt said on Friday. PM Ulf Kristersson acknowledged "a systemic failure" in govt security clearance procedures.

Tobias Thyberg, a 49-year-old diplomat who has served as Sweden's ambassador to Ukraine and Afghanistan among other positions over a 24-year career, was appointed to the position on Thursday.

He quit the job less than 12 hours later after newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) confronted him with photos of a "sensitive nature" from his past.

"These are old photos from an account I used to have on (gay dating app) Grindr. I should have informed (govt) about this but I didn't," he told DN. "I have therefore said that I do not plan to take up the position as NSA." DN did not provide any details about the photos' content, but tabloid Expressen reported they were of a "sexual nature". Kristersson called the matter "serious".

He acknowledged failures in security clearance procedures, as Thyberg has held numerous positions involving classified information for many years. An intelligence expert at Swedish Defence University said the photos were likely already in the hands of foreign powers, which could potentially use them as blackmail.

"I wouldn't be surprised if other countries' intelligence agencies already had this information," Johan Holmlund said, citing the US, Russia and China. The affair is particularly embarrassing for Kristersson because of a scandal surrounding Thyberg's predecessor. Henrik Landerholm resigned in Jan after it emerged that he had forgotten classified documents at a hotel conference centre in March 2023. afp